Coilover install questions/concerns

Well i'm going to be tackling the install of some ISC coilovers within the next couple of weeks. I'll also have some Rallitek front and rear swaybars going on at the same time. I've read through the threads regarding these coilovers and their installation, as well as other types of coilovers, but I'd like a better understanding of what i'm doing before I get started. I've got a couple of concerns, any thought/comments are appreciated.

First, how should I adjust the coilovers prior to the installation? I'm looking for maybe a 1" to 1 1/2" drop, and to firm up the ride. I'm not going to be AutoXing my car or tracking it (maybe rarely, but not often by any means). Mainly I want my car to handle well, take twisty roads when necessary, and improve on the "sloppy" feel of the stock suspension, but it's main purpose will be daily driving. All that being said, what adjustments should I make to the coilovers out of the box when installing them in order to give myself a firmed up ride and slightly lower stance? I'd prefer to adjust them as much as possible during the install, rather than weeks down the road as I realize i'm not happy with the way they're adjusted.

Second, what will I need to do after the installation as far as adjustment goes? I'm going to be getting an alignment for sure once the coilovers have time to settle, but do I need a full corner weight? Again, the goal of this modification is to improve the handling characteristics of my daily driver. The goal here is increased firmness and to slightly lower the car while retaining the most comfort possible and not increasing tire wear. If I need a corner weight to accomplish this, then so be it, but if that's something more reserved for someone who plans on tracking their car every weekend, i'd rather spend my money elsewhere. So the basic question here is, will a simple alignment a week or two after the install be sufficient for my needs?

Finally, i've heard from various sources that one of the major disadvantages of coilovers is that they'll wear out and need to be "rebuilt," often after only 2 to 3 years. Is this true? What symptoms will show themselves when this occurs, and what is involved in "rebuilding" the coilovers. I love the idea of coilovers on my car for a lot of reasons, but I don't want to get into something that is going to require tons of maintenance and/or adjustment, both now and in the future.

Thanks in advance to those who take the time to answer my noobish suspension questions.

Ask ISC or your vendor. The coilovers should be preset to a particular ride height and spring preload. Preload should most likely be left alone, adjust your ride height after you learn what they were set for. If you do alter the ride height yourself, take note of the current height of each fender. You'll want to maintain those cross-corner differences.

Get an alignment immediately after the installation, or at least string the car and do a simple alignment yourself. Corner weighting would be great if you can afford it.

Yes, they will need to be rebuilt after 30k or so, depending on road conditions and driving habits, usually simple cartridge replacements.

Ask ISC or your vendor. The coilovers should be preset to a particular ride height and spring preload. Preload should most likely be left alone, adjust your ride height after you learn what they were set for. If you do alter the ride height yourself, take note of the current height of each fender. You'll want to maintain those cross-corner differences.

 

Get an alignment immediately after the installation, or at least string the car and do a simple alignment yourself. Corner weighting would be great if you can afford it.

 

Yes, they will need to be rebuilt after 30k or so, depending on road conditions and driving habits, usually simple cartridge replacements.

Thanks for the info, pretty much answered all my questions. As for the "cross-corner" differences you mentioned, what did you mean there? The ride height differences front to rear should be the same? If, for example, the front fenders sat an inch higher that the rears, the adjusted ride height should as well? Or am I misunderstanding.

The goal here is increased firmness and to slightly lower the car while retaining the most comfort possible and not increasing tire wear.

Increased firmness- will depend on your spring rates and how you set your dampening on the coilovers.

Slightly lowered- the preset height that the coilovers come with should be lower than stock already, so I don't think you'll need to adjust much.

Retain comfort- When adjusting your dampening, set your coilovers to full soft, then turn it back a couple notches. Full soft is usually too bouncy, and your car will oscillate alot after dips and bumps.

Not increase tire wear- depends on your alignment and driving style. You can get around -1.1 camber with stock camber bolts. I was able to use those alignment specs for track days & dd, and I had 0 inner tire wear.

Another option is to sell your coilovers as BNIB, and get some springs & sways. They will last longer, and might fit your needs at a cheaper price.

I wouldn't corner weight a DD only car, it's too expensive for the benefits you get at high performance driving situations. I balanced mine i guess myself, going off of how the weight transfer felt during hard turns and adjusting the height afterward accordingly (trial and error style). This process took some time, and have gone 6 weeks without an alignment, but will getting one soon.

Ride height is personal preference. Some people like the gap bigger in the rears because the forward rake looks good. I tried that, but the feel during hard turns didn't fit my driving style. After messing with the height for a while, I might stick with how it is now, which is 2 finger gap in front and 1 finger gap in the rears.

Increased firmness- will depend on your spring rates and how you set your dampening on the coilovers.

Slightly lowered- the preset height that the coilovers come with should be lower than stock already, so I don't think you'll need to adjust much.

Retain comfort- When adjusting your dampening, set your coilovers to full soft, then turn it back a couple notches. Full soft is usually too bouncy, and your car will oscillate alot after dips and bumps.

Not increase tire wear- depends on your alignment and driving style. You can get around -1.1 camber with stock camber bolts. I was able to use those alignment specs for track days & dd, and I had 0 inner tire wear.

 

Another option is to sell your coilovers as BNIB, and get some springs & sways. They will last longer, and might fit your needs at a cheaper price.

 

I wouldn't corner weight a DD only car, it's too expensive for the benefits you get at high performance driving situations. I balanced mine i guess myself, going off of how the weight transfer felt during hard turns and adjusting the height afterward accordingly (trial and error style). This process took some time, and have gone 6 weeks without an alignment, but will getting one soon.

 

Ride height is personal preference. Some people like the gap bigger in the rears because the forward rake looks good. I tried that, but the feel during hard turns didn't fit my driving style. After messing with the height for a while, I might stick with how it is now, which is 2 finger gap in front and 1 finger gap in the rears.

Good info here, thanks! Essentially you believe that leaving the coilovers adjusted the way they are, except for the dampening, will be good for my needs? Also, can you elaborate on how you made adjustment based on just the feel of weight transfer and trial and error?

If you're not tracking the car, I would just go with what you think looks good, with enough clearance for your purposes (snow, steep driveways, tall speedbumps, etc).

I just adjusted it until it "felt flat" to me. With the front lower, i could feel the weight push into the outside front tire during turns if I hit the gas too soon, so I had to wait later during turn-in to shift all the weight to the side then gas it. It kinda felt like I was driving a RWD car, fast turn in, late throttle on.

I kept raising it until I had a slip angle (difference between where the car is pointed and where the car is drifting) that felt comfortable to me during hard turns. This only mattered during driving that pushes my tire's limits. DD or even spirited mountain roads the differences aren't that significant.

If your coilovers are new, and you want to save some work, give ISC a call and ask them what the default drop is like wcbjr mentioned. Then based on your car's stock suspension, measure how much you want to drop it, and change your coilovers accordingly if it's not enough drop for you.